Why do you cruise Disney?

[sssaige]

Our family would like to take a cruise, but I am having trouble getting everyone on board with paying a little extra for Disney (the other option is Royal Caribbean.) Everyone in our group will be 19 or older.

So my question is.. Why do you spend a little more for Disney? Is it the service, on board activities, or the Disney touch?

Disney cruise line compared to Royal Caribbean.

 

[SandyinMonterey]

I can't comment on the service, board activities, etc. because we haven't gone on the cruise yet (2016), but I can say that we decided on a Disney Cruise for our next vacation because of all the positive things we've read and heard. Another big deciding factor for us was we need a break from the park(s). Our daughter is 10 and she is more excited for the cruise than any Disneyworld or Disneyland vacation we had.

 

[chris31997]

We cruise Disney for the activities for all ages, the attention to details from the room attendants to the servers who rotate with you through the dining rooms, the friendliness of the CM and most of the guests, the fact that we felt like were not nickel and dimed every time we turned around(all dining is included except for Palo/Remy and all drinks included except specialty drinks at dinner), we can bring on our own alcohol IF we wanted, the ease that the CM accommodate our high maintenance travelers (my sister has food issues and my MIL is very picky).

I could go on.

We have not cruised RCL but we have NCL and did not enjoy that cruise. It was for us a let down. The boat felt old, we did not enjoy the dine when you wish option, the up charge to dine in most of the restaurants, the timing of the kids clubs

I would ask your family members if they like the Parks. If they do, cruising with Disney is similar just not all the rides.

 

[daisygirl902]

We choose Disney for many of the things already listed - the personal service is so important. Also for us, the entertainment is just so far above anything else on the water! We chose to cruise Celebrity last year because the itinerary just couldn't be beat...but besides the itinerary we were underwhelmed. The ship was beautiful, the food was great, but the rest was just average. The service was ok, the room was ok, and the entertainment was pretty terrible. Another thing I love about DCL is that there are so many adult only areas for those who are travelling with no kids. It's just got something for everyone. I'm headed on my 5th DCL cruise in September, and simply can't wait!!

 

[maloned]

I've only traveled on Royal. We're taking our first Disney Cruise this Fall. I still don't know why we paid more. The service and amenities on Royal are great. The entertainment is top notch, running actual Broadway productions. I'm going on Disney this time for my 2 daughters, but it's going to have to be a world of difference if I'm going to come back.

 

[Sir William]

We've done 5 DCL and 1 RCL, and always with just adults.

We like DCL primarily because of the quality of service. We also like the family atmosphere and entertainment (all kinds). We also like the fact that we don't have to run the gauntlet of a smoke filled casino, and that we can take unlimited alcohol, soft drinks, etc aboard.

Our RCL experience wasn't as enjoyable as Disney, even though the port was as close to us as PC is to WDW. Service was poor to mediocre. Our wait staff never learned our names, drink preferences, or food allergies; each night was like it was our first time. We didnt like the constant nickle and dime at meal times to "upgrade" to a preferred entree or to order a cocktail (how many times do I need to say no!), or to purchase a wine package every night. Guest services was pathetic, being neither attentive nor helpful. Kids overran the adult area but nothing was done or said by the crew (and heaven help you if you suggested anything to their parents). Entertainment was OK, but I can't remember a single show from the entire cruise. Cabins were smaller but comfortable, though I did miss Disney's split bathroom feature.

To be fair, I know many people like RCL and perhaps our experience was not the norm, but RCL is at the bottom of the 5 cruise lines we've sailed with, and we'd sail the other 4 in an instant.

 

[mjkacmom]

We cruise Disney for the activities for all ages, the attention to details from the room attendants to the servers who rotate with you through the dining rooms, the friendliness of the CM and most of the guests, the fact that we felt like were not nickel and dimed every time we turned around(all dining is included except for Palo/Remy and all drinks included except specialty drinks at dinner), we can bring on our own alcohol IF we wanted, the ease that the CM accommodate our high maintenance travelers (my sister has food issues and my MIL is very picky).

I could go on.

We have not cruised RCL but we have NCL and did not enjoy that cruise. It was for us a let down. The boat felt old, we did not enjoy the dine when you wish option, the up charge to dine in most of the restaurants, the timing of the kids clubs

I would ask your family members if they like the Parks. If they do, cruising with Disney is similar just not all the rides.

We liked NCL better than DCL. More free dining choices (plus more specialty choices, and the cover charges were much cheaper than DCL), and my kids preferred NCL's kids clubs. I do not like fixed dining times, and I like some adult shows. I don't enjoy having to get dressed up on vacation, plus with the cost savings, one can purchase unlimited dining and alcohol packages, and still spend a lot less.

 

[xlxo]

Why do you spend a little more for Disney?

So the kids can snort pixie dust for a week? In my case it was a family gathering and we were all curious about what DCL was all about.

It was not little in my situation.... it was double or possibly more compared to other cruise lines on that sailing date.

 

[MommyMeNDisney]

The only reason we cruise Disney is because they cater to DS (1) better right now. As soon as he turns 3, we are back to cruising NCL! I love the Norwegian EPIC and I look forward to cruising on their two newest ships when DS is old enough to enjoy their kids club. The pools on DCL are tiny and crowded. When DS is potty trained, we will be on NCL with much nicer/larger pools and kids water slides/play areas.

 

[Jess_S]

We did DCL to Alaska last September in a porthole cabin. I chose DCL over other lines entirely based upon the fact that they had open house at the kids club, which allowed my non-potty-trained son to play there. But, compared to my previous experience on NCL (suite level), I found both the food and service to be better on DCL. As an example, in NCL suites the butler delivers a snack every day. Even though we told our butler on our first day that we were vegetarian, he continued to bring meat canapes throughout the week that went straight in the trash. On DCL, we told our waiter we were vegetarian once on the first night and he had suggestions for what we could and could not eat every night and stopped us if we ordered something that wasn't vegetarian. Based upon the service we received on both lines, I would consider a standard room on DCL equal to one of the smaller suites on NCL and that's how I would compare prices.

It really depends on what your goals are though. I think DCL offers a premium experience, but it certainly has the price tag to match.

 

[SnipsNSnails]

We have cruised Carnival and RCL. My parents have also cruised Holland America, NCL, Costa, and MSC. We cruised DCL in Feb. 2013 and we would love to cruise Disney again. It was by far the best cruise that any of us have ever taken. The level of service, the kids clubs, the rotational dining, the shows, the rooms with the split baths, we felt it was all superior. BUT we got a great kids sail free deal on an 8 day cruise out of Galveston on the Magic. We haven't been able to justify the extra expense since then. While the Disney cruise was superior, it wasn't enough to get us to pay the much higher prices. Disney doesn't seem to have any trouble filling the ships at the higher prices because they only have 4 ships. If Disney was the same price as the others, we would choose them every time, but they aren't, so we don't because we would rather be able to vacation more often rather than skip a few in order to be able to afford DCL.

 

[Madteaparty001]

You get what you pay for. I think it really is as simple as that. However, seeing as your kids are much older than the usual target audience, some of the value of what a DCL offers may be lost on your family.

 

[Sir William]

...On DCL, we told our waiter we were vegetarian once on the first night and he had suggestions for what we could and could not eat every night and stopped us if we ordered something that wasn't vegetarian.

I had a similar experience on our first Disney cruise. I have an allergy to bell peppers and informed our servers the first night. I was rather surprised to see my entree arrive with a side that contained bell peppers and which had contaminated the rest of the plate. I pointed this out to our server and I soon had a replacement meal with his profound apologies. But we turned the experience into a joke and for dessert he said if I didn't see anything I liked he could get me a bowl of ice cream with bell peppers. From that point on, he made sure I knew what dishes I couldn't eat, or couldn't be modified for me to eat. On our RCL cruise, I just got a blank look from the server and each night I had to ask if I could eat a given appetizer, soup, or entree - and even then I still received dishes I couldn't eat and had to return to the kitchen. Our servers on Celebrity were better but not quite a good as they have been on our several Disney cruises.

 

[holden]

Service on DCL is wonderful, but we've had approximately 20 fabulous cruises on RCCL too. I like them both equally. Disney comes out ahead on service, dining room food, and split bathroom. RCCL comes out ahead on activities (ice skating, Aqua Theater, rock wall, Flowrider, etc.), alternate dining restaurants (some ships offer several and we don't mind paying a little extra for the food), awesome wine bar with tapas (we really missed the better wines by the glass at the bars on DCL), and flexible dining times (we don't like the fixed dining times). I actually like the entertainment and better on RCCL too.

I would cruise either, but I'd recommended Allure or Oasis on RCCL.

 

[katyjeka]

We've cruised NCL 9 times as we love the line. We also enjoy RCCL. We've only been on one Disney cruise and will probably not do another. We felt the price was a little high. We can actually cruise twice on the above mentioned lines for the same price as 1 Disney cruise.

 

[LovesTimone]

We cruised with Disney several times (6), with and without kiddos. For us it never has let us down, and always exceeded our expectations. We like the facts that your dinning room servers are the same each night and they rotate with you through the each dinning room. You get to know them and they you. Same with bartenders, and room host. We also feel the ship offers more to do, while there is not a casino on board, just as 2 adults there was more than enough to keep us busy if we choose to want to be that busy. We love the adults only area, it has its own pool, hot tubs (2), and bar. Nice .. very nice. The pirate party is a blast and when DH and I went in May for our anniversary we went all out and dressed up, it was so fun, and the fireworks at sea are really something special. Castaway Cay ( Disney private island) is paradise... So much to do, or do nothing. Adult only area on the island is wonderful.